, 1887-11-13
HE pIplINeroN estate.
An English Land Owner and His Peopls.
A Lively Scene.

This same Mr.. Tyssen Amherst, who
derives from the objectionable but pro
ductive northern suburb of Hackney,
which he owns almost in its entirety, an
income sufficient to enable him to bear
the expenses of keeping up the nine
square miles of his D~idlington estate, was,
so to speak, obliged to give his people IL
Jubilee fete, and to do SO on a large scale.
Nine parishes sent their c~ontingents in
700 vehicles of every description, which
from the early forenoon discharged their
freight of men, women and children
within the gates of his park; his flag
bearing his coat of arms fluttered from
the top of the hall tower. Free access
was given to the grounds, the gardens.
the heronry, the deer inclosure, the con
servatories, the plantations, and the lake
with its bridges, summer and boat houses
and many islands. On a meadow be-
tween the house and church eleven or
twelve large marques were erected: one
devoted to a horticultural exhibition Of
fruit, vegetables and flowers where the
cottagers wori prizes; three to refresh
ments, and the rest to substantial spreads
of dinners and teas served at different
times to men, women and children.
Nearly 5000 people were Mr.. Amherst's
Spttldl EutSlS, duluSeu dIu leu uuTllH
twelve hours at his EXPENSE; 1000 more
had been admitted to his park, and were
free to enjoy the various phases of the
fete, the merry-go-rounds and swings, the
ventriloqui:ts, jugglers, and excellent
military bands, as well as the elaborate
Nominations and fireworks which at dusk
converted many acres of lake and grounds
into n fairy scene. Looking into the
tents set apart for the tenants, you saw
almost interminable tables laden with
such rounds and sirloins of beef as seem
to appertain essentially to England, with
rows of beer tankards, and other edibles
and drinkables. Bailiffs and land agents
who nave been for fifty years on the
estate presided over the tables and carved
the mighty joints; the giver of the feast
made a appropriate speech in each tent,
and was never more Justify cheered in the
house of commo han by the school
children who had partaken of the tea and
cake in quantities which would nave as
tonished a regiment of hungry soldiers.
The ladies of the family waited on them,
as also on the women, and saw that none
rose till they were fully satiated A
cricket match between w parishes was
a great feature of the entertainment, the
captain of one eleven being Lord William
Cecil, son of the Marquis of Exeter, play
ing with gardeners, keepers and laborers
against a team in which social ranks were
equally COMPOUNDED.
Hogsheads of beer, tons of beef, gallons
of tea were consumed at what must have
been an enormous expense; and if the
host allowed, in some tents set apart for
that purpose, refreshments to be sold at a
merely nominal price by previous arrange
ments made with the caterers, it was for
a reason which probably would never
have occurred to a stranger. By all
established canons he was, as lord of the
manor, perfectly justified in inviting and
treating all his tenants and people living
on his land; as a member of parliament
had he treated and fed the outlying in
habitants he would have laid himself open
to the imputation of bribery and corrup-
ton, and of attempting to tamper with
and win over the votes of the free born
electors.
On the day of the fete, for many miles
around the country side presented a sing
ular aspect. 1t seemed as if a deep 81
lence and lifelessness had suddenly fallen
over the land. Horses and cattle We're
no longer visible in the fields, all labor
was suspended, the villages, farms and
'OlldSVo 1 utCfl lti dillho DN JUN dllo
old, the doors were bolted, the windows
shut down, and the w~ayfarer would
knock in vain if he wanted to ask what
road to take; there was not a living crea-
ture anywhere to give him the desired
answer. Every human soul was at Did
lington, and many came from such a dis
lance that it was late into the following
night when they regaIned their homes,
carrying with them the jubilee cup and
saucer which was one of the most cher
ished souvenirs of the celebration.
To the credit of the much abused Brit
ish agricultural population be it said that
there was no evidence of the roughness,
rudeness and inebriety which are sup
posed to be their characteristics; there
was not a single instance of drunkenness,
no noise, no horse play. a more respect
able, orderly, well to do crowd could not
easily be matched anywhere; on pleasure
bent, they tool their pleasure neither
sadly nor riotously, and strange to say
there was more genuine gratitude and
satisfaction in their hearty and unani-
nous farewell cheers to their hosts than
the lower classes of England are popu-
larly supposed to feel for favOrs conferred.
On the morrow it was found that not a
flower had been taken or flower bed
trampled, not a fruit picked; the herons,
fancy fowls, fallow deer and Gagged eagle
had not been molested; 10 vestige of the
passage and s%ojourn of nearly 1000 peo-
pie remained save the marques in pro-
cess of removal, and dotted on the roads
countless baby socks and shoes dropped
like the white pebbles of Hop O. My
Thumb, and telling of mothers %trudging
patiently home with their little burdens.
M. De S. in New York Sun.